Viv Richards: I am a huge fan of Virat Kohli, he continues to show why he is one of the all-time greats | Cricket-world-cup News
Sir Vivian Richards on Thursday praised Virat Kohli, calling him one of the all time greats in his column for the ICC.
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“There have been a whole host of talented individuals on show but to top them all, you cannot look past Virat Kohli. I am a huge fan of Virat, I have been for a long time, and he continues to show why he has to go down as one of the all-time greats, right up there with the likes of the great Sachin,” the legendary West Indies batter wrote.
He also touched upon Kohli’s perceived lack of form before the 50-over extravaganza and praised the support system of the cricketer.Most Read
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“Virat will have been through some tough times before this World Cup and some folks were even brave enough to call for his head. Credit must be given to the backroom staff and everyone who backed him. So much was said about his form but he is back on top of his game. It is phenomenal to see an individual who has had his low points bouncing back and playing like this. They say form is temporary – and he has certainly proven that class is permanent. I am so happy for him, he looks so focused and he is a credit to the game of cricket,” he wrote.
Talking about the comparisons between himself and Kohli, the legend wrote, “Many people have made comparisons between the two of us over the years, partly because of our shared intensity on the field. I love Virat’s enthusiasm – even if he is fielding at long-on or long-off, when one of his bowlers hits the pad, he is appealing. He is always in the game and I like individuals like that.”
Kohli has been in hot form in the World Cup, scoring 543 runs peppered with two centuries. He also equalled his idol Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 49 ODI centuries in the last match against South Africa at the Eden Gardens last Sunday.
Column provided ICC 2023 via Online Media Zone.